Numerous studies in vivo, as well as in vitro, have shown that compounds of the vitamin A group, their derivatives, or their analogs (collectively called retinoids) may prevent or reverse carcinogen-induced malignacy. Although much progress has already been made in developing retinoids for the chemoprevention of cancer, new retinoids with improved chemopreventive activity, lower toxicity, and superior pharmacokinetic properties must be found in order to make chemoprevention a more effective method of cancer control. For these reasons, new retinoids of diverse structures must be synthesized for evaluations of chemopreventive activity, pharmacological investigations, and biochemical studies. In order to explore further the effects of structural modification on chemopreventive activity, this program of synthesis of new retinoids is comprised (1) of derivatives of retinoids with known activity and (2) of new types of retinoid structures. Some of the new retinoids will be derivatives of retinol and retinoic acid. Some of the new types of retinoids will be modified in structure at, or near, the polar, terminal group. Other groups of new retinoids will be modified in the cyclohexenyl group, and in some the cyclohexenyl group will be replaced.